Even positive stereotypes can hurt kids’ success

Generalizations about the skills or likely success of a social group—of boys or girls, for example—can sometimes undermine performance, a new study shows.

“These findings suggest we should be cautious in making pronouncements about the abilities of social groups such as boys and girls,” says University of Illinois researcher Andrei Cimpian.

“Not only is the truth of such statements questionable, but they also send the wrong message about what it takes to succeed, thereby undermining achievement—even when they are actually meant as encouragement.”